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Lucio Edwin Gutiérrez Borbúa (born March 23 , 1957 ) is a Ecuador ian ex- Soldier and Politician ; he was President Of Ecuador from January 15 , 2003 to April 20 , 2005 . PRESIDENCY Gutiérrez was prominent in a short-lived Junta that replaced President Jamil Mahuad in 2000 , after he was forced to abandon his office following demonstrations in Quito by thousands of indigenous Ecuadorians protesting the Mahuad government's support of Neo-liberalist Economic policies, especially dolarization. Instead of ordering to disperse the protestors, Gutiérrez stood aside when they took over the National Parliament building. Gutiérrez then joined with one leader of the protest, and invited a retired Supreme Court judge, to form a "government of national salvation." To preserve the military hierarchy, Gutierrez agreed to be replaced by General Mendoza. Under pressure from the United States, and lacking support from the indigenous movement, the junta stepped down after twenty-four hours so that the Vice President Gustavo Noboa could assume the office of the presidency. The armed forces jailed Gutiérrez for six months, was discharged, but faced no criminal prosecution. Gutiérrez ran for President in 2002 as the candidate of the January 21 Patriotic Society Party (PSP), named for the date of the unsuccessful 2000 protest,and the Pachakutik Movement, on a platform of fighting corruption and reversing Neoliberal economic reforms. He defeated Banana magnate and the wealthiest man in Ecuador Álvaro Noboa in the second round with 55% of the popular vote, through a partnership with the leftist and indigeneous movement parties, MPD and Pachacutik, respectively. Gutiérrez began alienating many of his supporters even before taking office, however, by taking inconsistent positions on whether he supported joining the Free Trade Area Of The Americas (FTAA), and lost much of his support by pursuing Conservative economic policies as president. His former Left-wing supporters joined with the conservative Social Christian Party (PSC) in November 2004 in launching an effort to impeach him on various charges. Gutiérrez was accused of embezzlement by the PSC for using funds, resources and public property in favor of PSP candidates in the elections of 2004, and by the Democratic Left (ID), MPD and Pachakutik for jeopardizing the security of the state with the importation of posters from Mexico during the 2002 presidential election, for involving Ecuador in Plan Colombia, and for inciting the people to literally burn the courts, respectively. Impeachment proceedings collapsed when two legislators broke party lines, and a majority (51) votes could not be aquired to continue the proceedings. In December 2004 , Gutiérrez alleged that the Supreme Court of Justice was biased in favor of the ( Partido Social Cristiano /PSC). His political party ''Sociedad Patriótica'', together with PRIAN ( Álvaro Noboa ), PRE ( Abdalá Bucaram ), independents and MPD, voted in Congress for the reorganization of the Supreme Court of Justice via majority resolution, even though the Constitution gives autonomy to the judicial branch and does not authorize Congress to interfere in the judiciary by removing or nominating judges. Judges were replaced by allies to PRE, PRIAN and PSP political parties with the clear intention of dropping criminal charges against former president Abdalá Bucaram , accused of several acts of corruption during his presidency leading to his self-exile in Panama from 1997 until April 2005 . Crisis On April 15 , 2005 , amid a growing political crisis and protests in the city of Quito against the Government, President Gutiérrez declared a state of emergency in Quito and revoked the newly appointed Supreme Court of Justice. This was a controversial move that provoked conflicting reactions; in fact, it was seen by analysts as a dictatorial act. The state of emergency was lifted on April 16 , as the State of Emergency was disobeyed by citizens and General Aguas of the army, who refused to enforce it, and Ecuador's Congress was expected to hold a session in order to decide whether to ratify the Supreme Court's dismissal. {Link without Title} Former president Abdala Bucaram had been permitted to return from exile in Panama on April 2, presumably in return for the support of his PRE party in Congress and his substantial number of street-level activists. On arrival, Bucaram gave a speech in which he suggested that the seriously ill Pope was refusing to die until he (Bucaram) was safely back on his native soil. Later that day, Pope John Paul II died. The outrage at the apparent tasteless of Bucaram's comments in a country with a substantial proportion of devout Roman Catholics only added to Gutierrez's problems. On Alfredo Palacio to serve as President . The Ecuatorian Constitution say what is nessesary 2/3 parts of the votes for do it. At the same time, the Ecuadorian ''Comando Conjunto de las Fuerzas Armadas'', (a military body equivalent to the Joint Chiefs Of Staff ), publicly expressed that they were withdrawing their support for Gutiérrez, who had no option but to leave the Presidential Palace on a helicopter and finally sought Political Asylum in the House of the Brazil ian Ambassador in the North of Quito , after his attempt to leave the city aboard a plane at Quito's International Airport was thwarted by hundreds of angry protesters that breached airport security and blocked the airstrip. Bucaram, meanwhile, had secretly left the country for Panama, his return from exile having lasted merely 18 days. Additionally, in this same day, the CIESPAL building, was attack for the demonstrators indignat with Gutierrez but also with the deputies, and many deputies were injuried. The new President Alfredo Palacio was contained in this building many hours waiting the help of the army. EXILE AND ARREST Brazil offered Gutiérrez asylum and arranged air transport out of Ecuador for the former president. He arrived in and taken to a Prison in Quito , locked in a maximum-security cell, on charges of attempting to subvert Ecuador's internal security by repeatedly proclaiming to the international Media that he continues to be the legitimate President of the Republic Of Ecuador . RELEASE FROM PRISON On March 3, 2006 , a judge in Ecuador dismissed the charges against Gutierrez. Was very notorius a politic trade of Gutierrez with the ( Partido Social Cristiano /PSC), Gutierrez take the freedom and the deputies of PSP help to the PSC to take a majority for controller the Constitutional Court. Upon his release, Gutierrez thanked the Ecuadorean people for their support and vowed that he would win the election in October. EXTERNAL LINKS |
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